Is It Ever Acceptable for Companies to Share Your Data?

February 25, 2016

5:12 pm

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According to a recent survey by the National Cyber Security Alliance, more Americans are concerned with the risk of losing their online privacy than losing their own income. Of the 68 percent of those polled who feared for their cyber security, it was noted that their main source of fear was about companies passing their data onto third parties. It was also noted that only 16 percent of people actually read the privacy policies of the sites which have access to their details – an unsurprising figure, though one which doesn’t match with the 33 percent who are actually aware they have this option.

The rules are different when it comes to customers, and the method by which consumers agree to their information being shared is changing. Every sign-up or registration page you access must legally include a box to tick, to consent to receiving further information from the company, or to your details being passed on to others. However, there is no regulation on how this tickbox is labelled, which can be deceptive for anyone not paying attention. Often, the box comes pre-ticked, and you need to click again to opt out, rather than clicking to opt in – both of which are legal ways of consenting to pass on your information.

Data Privacy Laws Around the World

In the US, marketing emails are kept in check by the appropriately named CAN-SPAM Act, which came into force in 2003. The rules include: making sure a postal address is included in each marketing email – failure to do so results in a $16,000 fine per email – and a clearly-visible unsubscribe option at the bottom of each message.

It’s one thing to weed out the frustrating amount of spam and unsolicited emails which find their way into your inbox on a daily basis. However, if new laws, such as CASL, which can stop legitimate companies from doing business are coming into play, perhaps a rethink is in order.

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